Religion

Detroit was once known as the City of Churches. From a primitive log chapel on the banks of the Detroit River three centuries ago to the contemporary structures in the far-flung suburbs, the Catholic churches that grace southeastern Michigan pique the interest and admiration of designers, artists, and scholars. Detroit's Catholic churches have embraced many roles during their existence, serving as historical landmarks, centers for political activities, community charities, and anchors for the city's diverse ethnic groups. They symbolize the devotion, strength, and unity that have nurtured the faithful since 1701. The congregation of Ste. Anne, Detroit's first church, persevered to build seven churches over two centuries, each more magnificent than its predecessor.

Catholicism has greatly influenced the character of San Francisco, beginning with its origins in California in the mission system, which brought Franciscan friars, Spanish soldiers, and new settlers to these shores. Catholics have been witness to history-making events that have included the 1848 Gold Rush, the 1906 earthquake and fire, and the 1918 influenza pandemic. Parishes, schools, hospitals, and charities took shape after the archdiocese's establishment in 1853. The guidance of archbishops, dedication of religious orders, and support of the lay community has made the city named for St. Francis of Assisi into a uniquely Catholic place. The leadership of Catholics in the larger community continues today, enriched by new cultures and traditions.

Santa Claus, Indiana, acquired its famous name in 1856 and has been celebrating the spirit of Christmas ever since. Postmaster James Martin began answering children's letters to Santa and his elves in 1914, a tradition that continues to this day and makes Santa Claus a favored destination for those seeking the holiday spirit. The town's unique name prompted Robert Ripley to feature it in his popular cartoon strip, and businessmen such as Carl Barrett and Milton Harris raced to erect Christmas attractions as early as 1935. Beating Walt Disney by nearly a decade, Louis J. Koch opened Santa Claus Land, the nation's first theme park, in 1946. Today, visitors still flock to Santa Claus to share in the magic of America's Christmas Hometown.

With expanding Irish, Swiss, French, and German immigrant populations, the state of Indiana evolved from individual explorers, trappers, hunters, and traders into family-focused communities of farmers and craftsmen.

Emerging from the former Indiana Territory, the state's early population was in need of education, health care, and social services to assist young families, the poor, the infirm, and the elderly. These needs were frequently met by Catholic religious orders, including the Benedictines, Sisters of Providence, Franciscans, Daughters of Charity, and other established organizations of dedicated religious men and women.

Formally established in 1843, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh traces its history back to April 1754, when the first Eucharistic Liturgy was celebrated within what is now Pittsburgh. Franciscan friar Denys Baron established the first Catholic house of worship in this part of the world and dedicated it in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He constructed his small parish at the forks of the Ohio River, and from his meticulous records of baptisms, births, and deaths, there is evidence that he ministered not only to the soldiers of Fort Duquesne, but to people of Native American, Irish, and English descent as well. Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh illustrates how the seeds planted by this first humble faith community grew a rich Catholic tradition nurtured by ©migr©s from myriad European countries, who brought with them traditions and an unwavering faith that has enriched the southwestern area of Pennsylvania for more than 250 years.

Catholic New York City celebrates the religious and cultural life f one of the largest Catholic populations in the world. The first Catholic church was founded in the 1780s, and the diocese was subsequently founded in 1808, when there were only a few priests in the entire state. The 1879 completion of the country's best-known Catholic church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, was a crowning moment in New York City's Catholic history. Between 1850 and 1900, the Catholic population of New York City grew from 200,000 to more than 1.2 million due to a tremendous influx of Irish, German, Italian, Polish, and other European immigrants. Throughout the last 200 years, the city has been home to a wide range of fascinating Catholic personalities, places, and events.

Step inside Washington's own Gothic cathedral

Despite being built entirely during the 20th century (1907-1990), the techniques used to construct the Washington National Cathedral were the same as those used on the centuries-old Gothic churches in Europe. What powered the larger tools and cranes was different, but otherwise, the processes, ordering, and artistic finishing were almost entirely medieval. The last time a building of this magnitude was built using these techniques, cameras did not exist. Images of America: Building Washington National Cathedral divides the 20th century into decades to detail what must be the first published beginning-to-completion photographic record of the construction of a Gothic cathedral.

Teach, build, and serve, a legend taken from the mission statement of the Archdiocese of Newark, encompasses the vibrant spirit emblematic of this see from official conception in 1853 through its sesquicentennial observance in 2003. Those who call the archdiocese home share a common religious history and a collective picture of their faith in action from old-world roots. Generations of Catholics who live in the northern New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union have shared such devotions as attending Mass, special feast days, parochial education, organizational affiliations, church socials, and many other articles of celebration with their families, friends, priests, religious sisters, and others who collectively define the essence of neighborly communion. This volume provides a basic narrative and visual overview designed to honor the individuals, milestones, and varied landmarks that make the Archdiocese of Newark memorable and inspirational.

From the towers of St. Cecilia's Cathedral to the Buddhist statuary garden visible from North Omaha's Sorensen Expressway, Omaha's physical expressions of worship represent the world's major faiths. Images of America: Omaha's Historic Houses of Worship tells the story of how Omahans since the 1850s have created religious buildings and landmarks all over the city as expressions of their beliefs and identities. Images in this book include buildings in the National Register of Historic Places and on local landmarks lists. Through historical religious photographs, readers will learn the colorful tales of the buildings' creations and see how today's Omahans are building the next chapter in the ongoing story of the city's religious landscape.

St. Paul's Parish is a bedroom community outside the greater historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. The parish is comprised of a series of small, close-knit communities, including Meggett, Yonges Island, Hollywood, Rantowles, Ravenel, and Adams Run. Over the years, it has been a site of key Revolutionary War battles, a mobilization point for Confederate forces, a summer vacation spot for Charlestonians, home of South Carolina's second oldest settlement, and, most importantly, an area dominated by agriculture and industry. The entire parish has been dependent on agriculture since the first settlers arrived. By the early 1900s, St. Paul's Parish had become a vegetable-growing super center that surpassed many larger cities and towns across the United States. At one point in time, Meggett was the cabbage capital of the world! Truck farming, as it was known, made the "Cabbage Patch" and its citizens world-famous and rich until the 1950s; it started to slowly decline and came to a halt in the early 1960s.

Explore the fascinating history of Detroit’s Gesu Catholic Church and Schoolthrough the images and stories of the people who were there.

In a reconfigured farmhouse just a mile outside of the city limits of Detroit, a Jesuit priest and 25 men, women, and children gathered to celebrate Sunday mass on March 19, 1922.

The Reverend John McNichols named the Catholic mission church Gesu, the Italian word for Jesus.Gesubecame one of Detroit's landmark parishes. Its history illustrates the Motor City'sboom, bust, resilience, and resurgence. It was the home parish of four Detroit mayors, powerful members of Congress, auto industry titans, sports legends, artists, authors, and actors. At its peak in the mid-1960s, GesuSchool enrolled 1,600 students. Because of Detroit's decline and its racial and economic struggles, Gesuis one of only four Catholic elementary schools that remain in the city. But as Detroit rebounds, Gesu Schoolis growing again.

Author Patricia Montemurri is an award-winning Detroit journalist whose in-laws were the church's architects and stained-glass designers.Gesu'shistory unfolds here through vintage photographs from the parish archives, the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the University of Detroit Mercy, the Walter P. Reuther Library, the Michigan Catholic, and the albums of Gesuparishioners and graduates.

With rare photos and glimpses of its eccentric founder, discover the curious, fascinating history of the religious society that drew thousands of international visitors to the shores of Benton Harbor.

In 1903, Benjamin Purnell, a long-haired, bearded itinerant preacher, arrived in Benton Harbor. He and his wife, Mary, stepped out of their covered preacher's wagon, and gazing across a thriving summer resort, they saw their long-awaited paradise. Acquiring this paradise, they established a religious colony called the House of David, which grew to over 1,000 members from around the world, with phenomenal talents in music, sports, entertainment, and architecture. A pre-Disneyland-type amusement park was constructed, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. As the colony's leader, the very charismatic and convincing Purnell called himself a brother to Jesus, and members flocked in, handing over their homes, wealth, and worldly possessions for the promise of everlasting life, creating huge wealth. Soon they built exquisite mansions, hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, factories, and miniature railroads. Holdings included diamond and gold mines, an island in Lake Michigan, thousands of acres of farmland, an Australian resort, an art studio, orchestras, vaudeville acts, a famous bearded baseball team, and more. This book will take readers on the fascinating journey of the House of David.

Originating with the first French settlers who landed on the banks of the Detroit River in 1701, the Catholic Church has evolved into one of Detroit's most influential institutions. In this new publication, the prodigious expansion of the Archdiocese of Detroit is brought to life in a fascinating retrospective featuring over 200 vintage images.

In the 20th century, the rapid ascent of the automobile industry after World War One and the tremendous increase in Detroit's population triggered a parallel growth in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Witness the lean years of the 1930s when the Depression gave rise to Detroit's most famous cleric, Father Charles Coughlin, the "radio priest" of Royal Oak. March to the battlefront in the 1940s as Monsignor Joseph Ciarrocchi used the printed word as his weapon in America's fight against fascism. Relive the prosperous 1950s as the post-war baby boomers made their presence felt in every parish school. Finally, reflect on Catholic Detroiters during the turbulent 1960s.

The Catholic community of Washington, DC, has grown and changed dramatically since 1939, when Pope Pius XII separated the city from the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Catholics in Washington, DC preserves the passion and devotion of Catholics who had Godly visions of making new religious institutions, shrines, schools, hospitals, and churches while continuing to build on their faith. This collection of photographs does more than just highlight the achievements of famous Catholics, such as Archbishop Michael Curley of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pres. John Kennedy, and Pope Francis; it illustrates the superb efforts of priests, nuns, missionaries, laypersons, and political figures who have come together with great pride to grow the Catholic Church in the nation's capital.

The Catholic faith was first brought to the peninsula that lies between
the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays in the seventeenth century by Jesuit
priests who rode circuit from the Maryland colony, offering Mass and bringing
the sacraments to private homes. As the country grew, so too did the Catholic
community on Delmarva, and many new churches and missions were founded.
From the earliest established church'St. Francis Xavier Mission in Cecil
County, Maryland, founded in 1704--to Salesianum School, the first high
school in Delaware to be racially integrated, from the involvement in the diocese
of American saints John Neumann and Elizabeth Ann Seton to a variety of
religious orders and organizations, these honored institutions and remarkable
individuals helped to shape the minds and spirits of young and old alike
The story of the Diocese of Wilmington, which split off from the Diocese of
Philadelphia in 1868, is not just one of church construction dates--it is the story
of its people. From the colorful settlement of French exiled after a slave rebellion
in Haiti to the New World immigrants of Irish, German, Italian, Polish, and
later, Hispanic descent, the Catholic community in the region has been diverse,
vibrant, and steadfast in a shared faith. From its humble beginnings, the diocese
has grown to serve a population of more than 190,000 members with 56 parishes,
20 missions, and 37 schools and has fostered a strong civic tradition in athletics,
theater, and community festivals.

Overcoming its tumultuous beginnings, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has matured into a distinguished and active voice for West Virginians. One of the most unique aspects of the diocese's 160-year history is the diversity of the landscape, culture, ethnicity, and dialect that characterizes the state's identity. From Wheeling to Beckley and Martinsburg to Parkersburg, the story of our diocese comes from the individuals who established and nurtured the Catholic faith in their local communities. Without generations of the dedicated faithful, the diocese would not have thrived. Through a variety of images, this book tells the story of the generations that continued striving to give a voice to this unique Catholic community. In addition, professional researchers and local readers alike will find this volume's rare perspective of history through the lived experience of the subjects refreshing.

William Henry Jernagin was a devout Christian and fierce advocate for civil rights in the first half of the twentieth century. He was senior pastor of the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood for more than forty-five years. His activism made him an internationally recognized figure. He was a foundational leader in the American civil rights movement. His residency allowed him to contribute to the collective action to abolish Jim Crow in the nation's capital. Through his office in the National Baptist Convention, he also identified the potential in a lesser-known leader of the time, Martin Luther King Jr. Jernagin's passion lifted him to leading positions in the National Baptist Convention and National Fraternal Council of Negro Churches, as well as close work with Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. Author Ida E. Jones reveals the story of this often-overlooked leader and his fight for civil rights while living in the District of Columbia.

In 1540, Francisco Coronado led a band of soldiers, treasure-seekers, and Franciscan priests and friars into New Mexico, changing the lives of the Native Americans forever. In 1680, less than 100 years after the first Spanish colony imposed disease, serfdom, and zealous religious oversight on the indigenous peoples, the Pueblos rose up, forcing the Spaniards out. The uprising, known as the Pueblo Revolt, lasted for 12 years, but Catholic influence was reinvigorated following the 1692 Diego De Vargas reconquest. Over the next century, the Franciscans were gradually relegated to outlying pueblos while diocesan priests from Mexico and later from France and the United States dominated the Church's expansion in the Rio Grande Valley. Today Catholicism remains strong and vibrant in New Mexico, learning the lessons and building on the foundations from the past 500 years.